Network systems and methods for efficiently dropping packets carried by virtual circuits

摘要

The present disclosure generally pertains to network systems and methods that efficiently drop packets carried by virtual circuits. In one exemplary embodiment, a packet network has at least a first node having a first port that is coupled directly to a second port of a second node. A virtual circuit is established such that a virtual connection exists between the two ports. The first node communicates with the second node to determine whether the second node is provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit. If the second node is not provisioned such that the second port is a member of the virtual circuit, then the first node drops the data packets that (1) are carried by the virtual circuit and (2) are to be forwarded to the first port, as indicated by virtual circuit (VC) mapping data in the first node. Thus, the dropped packets are prevented from usurping capacity that otherwise could be used to transmit other packets between the two nodes.

主权项

1. A packet network, comprising:
a first node having a first port; and a second node having a second port coupled to the first port of the first node, the second node having memory configured to store virtual circuit (VC) mapping data for mapping VC identifiers to port identifiers, each of the port identifiers identifying a respective port of the second node, wherein the VC mapping data has a mapping that maps the VC identifier identifying the virtual circuit to the port identifier identifying the second port, the second node configured to communicate with the first node to determine whether the first node is provisioned such that the first node would drop data packets received via the first port and carried by a virtual circuit identified by a VC identifier that is mapped by the VC mapping data to a port identifier identifying the second port, the second node further configured to determine, based on the mapping, to update the VC mapping data, in response to a determination that the first node is provisioned such that the first node would drop data packets received via the first port and carried by the virtual circuit, such that the second node is configured to drop data packets carried by the virtual circuit.